Semiconductor fabrication technology continues in a trend towards increasing circuit density and further microminiaturization of semiconductor structures. A semiconductor structure in this context is defined as any region, device, component, or element thereof that can be grown, formed, diffused, implanted, deposited, etc. into or onto a semiconductor substrate. For example, the gate conductor in today's high speed semiconductor transistor devices has diminished to a width of 0.4.times.10.sup.-6 meters, and it is foreseen that this width will be further decreased to 0.1.times.10.sup.-6 meters.
A stud is an electrically conductive element which contacts a structure or element of a semiconductor device and allows the device to be connected with another semiconductor structure or electronic device. As the dimensions of a semiconductor structure decreases, the available area for forming a stud to adequately contact the structure also decreases. Thus, a high degree of accuracy is required to properly form and align a stud so as to contact a microminiaturized semiconductor structure. In other words, increased microminiaturization of semiconductor structures leads to the problem of decreased alignment error tolerance when fabricating contact studs for such structures.
Moreover, minimizing contact resistance between a contact stud and a semiconductor structure is important for increasing speed and optimizing circuit performance. In this regard, a contact stud is generally fabricated so as to contact the top surface of a semiconductor structure. Thus, the available area for the stud to contact the structure is dictated by and limited to the width of the top surface of the structure.
Although further increasing of circuit layout density does not generally require considerable decrease in the height of the structure, it does require significant diminishment in the overall width of the structure. In other words, the aspect ratio (width to height ratio) of the structure is decreased in order to increase circuit layout density. Accordingly, the available area of width on the top portion of the structure for the stud to contact the structure is also decreased. Unfortunately, the area of contact between the stud and the structure controls the amount of contact resistance therebetween, such that a decrease in the area of contact leads to an undesirable increase in contact resistance.